I'm moving to New Mexico in a couple of months, and I'll be looking for work out there. I'm tired of working for jack-leg electrical contractors, so I've come up with a list of things I intend to ask during the interview, which I'm hoping will give me a better idea of what a company is like and what their priorities are.

The questions concerning safety
  • What is your policy on working equipment hot? AND Is it a problem that I do not do hot work?
  • Do you have a lock-out/tag-out program?
  • Do you have hard-hats and safety-glasses?
  • Do you have hot-gloves?
Business
  • (Assuming service work)-Do you pay for travel time?
  • Do you have a 401k?
  • How many people are in your company?
  • What's the ratio of journey-men to apprentices/helpers?
Workmanship
  • Do you generally use more PVC or EMT?
  • Do you have a prefered method for trimming-out receptacles?
  • Does each service-truck/journeyman have a code-book?
  • If mounting a disconnect for a residential heat-pump, how would you like to see the wires brought into that disconnect?
The reasoning behind some of these questions should be pretty obvious. I think how a company answers the questions concerning safety will tell me a lot about how much they value their workers.

Some of these questions are sort of neutral: "How do you trim-out receptacles?" While I don't see any problem at all with daisy-chaining receptacles, I personally believe that pig-tailing is a better quality install. If the company says they prefer pig-tailing, that suggests they might be willing to take more time to ensure a higher level of quality.

EMT VS. PVC, same thing. While PVC definitely works, I believe EMT/RMC is generally the better install.

The answer I'm looking for concering the exterior disconnects: At a minimum, put a nipple on the back of the disco. to protect the NM-B from water were it exits the exterior wall. Then pack duct-seal around the nipple to seal the hole in the wall, and/or run a heavy bead of silicone on the back of the disconnect to prevent water from getting into the hole. This type of question tells me how much the contractor cares about the details of the install and parts that aren't strictly "electrical."

While I'd welcome any input, I'd especially like to hear from those of you who run your own company: If you had someone ask you these types of questions, how would you react?

Do you think I expect too much of an employer? Is it realistic that I will find people who agree with a lot of these principles?

What important questions do you think I'm forgetting?

I'd appreciate some input.

-John

[This message has been edited by BigJohn (edited 03-07-2006).]